Mooring bitt



3, K. C. KOR-TUM l Mo'oRING BITT Filed May 2, 1946 In Igel/tor Patented Feb. 3, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural renements in mooring bitts, more specifically, to a combination mooring bitt and chock, such as may be effectively employed for the fastening of hawsers, cables, or the like, which are commonly employed for mooring ships to the dock,

The invention applies particularly to the mooring bitts positioned on the ships deck and the principal object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herein described, such as may be employed with substantially improved results, in place of the conventional rope stopper. In existing practice, this stopper, which is of a considerably smaller diameter than the hawser, is secured at one end to the mooring bitt, While its remaining end is wound several times around the hawser to be secured. The rope stopper is thus momentarily subjected to withstand the entire strain on the hawser, this practice not only being a dangerous and a tedious operation, but also frequently resulting in considerable damage to both the stopper and the hawser itself.

It is therefore a further object of the invention to eliminate the disadvantages above outlined by providing a mooring bitt in which a wedge co-acts with an eccentric sheave to rmly and securely stopper the hawser within the mooring bitt structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mooring bit in which friction is reduced to a minimum and in which the actual stopping strain is absorbed by the sheave and the wedge, rather than by the hawser or cable.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a mooring bitt structure which is adapted for mounting adjacent to the rail on the deck of a vessel and which, being so positioned, will eliminate the use of the conventional chock.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mooring bitt which does not need to be accurately aligned with the nigger head or capstan, in order to facilitate satisfactory operation thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mooring bitt in which the conventionally experienced slackening of the hawser subsequent to the securing thereof, is eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mooring bitt which will generally increase the utility, speed and effectiveness usually associatedv with the operation of bitts of conventional design.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a mooring bitt which is simple and compact in construction and which will not easily become damaged.

With the above more important objects in view, and such other objects as may become apparent as this specication proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the invention, illustrating the same in situ on the ships deck.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, partially broken away to reveal its construction, and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken in the plane of the line 3-3 in Figure 1.

Like characters of reference are used to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several Views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of a at, hori- Zonta] base 5, formed integrally with a pairof spaced, upstanding bitts 6, the same being of conventional design and ccnfigurated substantially as shown in the accompanying drawings.

The base 5 is provided between the bitts 6 with a bore I and a counter bore 8, and a substantially vertical spigot, consisting of the shank 9 and the head I8, is positioned in the bores 1 and 8, asis best shown in Figure 3.

An eccentric sheave I I is rotatably mounted on the shank 9, this sheave being retained in position thereon by means of a retainer I2. The latter is placed in a suitable seat I3 provided in the sheave I I, the retainer being internally threaded and adapted to engage a screw-threaded portion is formed at the upper end of the shank 9. A plurality of tommy-bar apertures I5 are formed in the retainer, whereby the same may be rmly and securely tightened.

The sheave II is inscribed with the arrow I5 for designating its eccentricity and a plurality of radially disposed sockets Il are also formed in the sheave, the same being hereinafter more particularly described,

The mooring bitt as a Whole is mounted in any suitable manner on the deck I8 of the Vessel, adjacent to the side rail I9. The latter is formed with the usual hawser opening 20 and the hawser 2l enters through this opening and passes around the sheave II, as will be clearly apparent from the accompanying drawings.

The sheave II is formed with a, concaved peripherie groove 22 and the haWser passes completely around the sheave, forming a, spiral coil. The remaining end 23 of the hawser 2I is taken :bar 29 or alternatively,

to a suitable nigger head or capstan (not shown).

The bitts E are recessed adjacent the lower ends thereof to provide flatsurface portions 24 and a wedge 25 is removably receivable in either of these recesses, as will now be described.

One side, that is, the hawser contacting side 26 of the wedge 25 is tapered in both horizontal and vertical planes with respect to its relatively opposite side 2l, the side 26 extending .upwardly and outwardly, as is best illustrated inthe accompanying Figure 2.

When the invention is placed in use, the outer end of the hawser 2l is connected in any suitable manner to the dock and the hawser is passed through the opening and around the sheave lvl,V as has been already set forth.

The end 23 of the hawser isconnected tothenigger head or capstan and it will be apparent that by hauling in the hawser, the sheave Ill will be rotated in the direction of the arrow 2,8. 'When the hawser lhasbeen tightened tothe desired amount, the wedge 25 is inserted'between the sheave .and the surface L2l of the bitt AE, as lwill be clearly apparent irom'jthe accompanying drawings.

:The hawser Amay now be slackened a little, or alternatively, a tommy-bar .29 may be vinserted. into one of the sockets I1 andthe -sheave `il ro- -tated in the anti-clockwise direction, so that 'the eccentricityl of .the sheave co-acts with thewedse V2.5 and the ,side 26 crimps orbears against one .section of `the hawser, designated by the reference character 30.

' The hawser willY new be :held firmly and securely and it should'fbe pointed out `that inasmuch as the wedge 25 :contacts .the hawser at lonly -one particular sectionY the securing strain will be evenly distributed zthrough vthe portion of .the hawser Vcoil'ediaround the sheave. It should .be particularly noted that the lower section .3i of the 'hawser does not contact the wedge 25, as is rbest illustrated in the accompany-ing Figure 2.

Thebitt may 'be simply and speedily released "by backing off .the sheave in the direction of 1 `the arrow 28 throughzthe medium of the tommyby tapping theend 32 in order to dislodge thewedge from its stopping position.

.While in the foregoing there has. been shown and described vthe ypreferred embodiment of thisinvention it isfto be understood lthat minor changes in the details of construction, combina tion and arrangement of vparts may be resorted fto without :departing Afrom the spirit and scope -of the' invention as claimed.

What I claim as .my invention is:

il. AV .mooring bitt structure comprising in combination, a base and an upstanding bitt thereon, an eccentric sheaverotatably mountedon said base adjacent to said bitt, said bitt being ,provided Vwith a :flat surface portion adjacent to said sheave, a hawser passing around said sheave, and a wedge, said wedge'co-acting `With said nat surface portion and with said sheave to stopper said hawser,

2. A combined mooring bitt and chock structure comprising in combination, a base and a pair of spaced, upstanding bitts thereon, Van eccentric sheave rotatably mounted on said base between said bitts, said bitts being formed with flat surface portions adjacent to said sheave, a hawser passing around said sheave, and a wedge, said wedge co-acting with one of said at surface portions and with said sheave torvstopper said hawser( l 3. The device as dened 'in' claim 2 rwhich is adapted for mounting adjacent the rail on the deck of a vessel.

VLl. A combined mooring bitt and chock structure comprising in combination, a flat, horizontal base and a pair of spaced, upstanding bitts Y thereon, a substantially vertical spigot also on saidbase between said bitts, an eccentric sheave rotatably positioned on said spigot, said bitts being recessed to form flat surface portions advjacent togsaid o sheave, a -hawserpasslng around said sheave,andawedgafsaid wedge co-.acting with one of said A.fiat ysurface portions and with .saidsheave to stopper said hawser. Y

5. The ldevice .as .defined inaclaim 4, in which said sheave is formed with'apluralityiofradially disposed sockets, said `sockets beingadaptedto receive a tommy-bar. i

6.*Thefdevice as Y.deiined in clairm, in Vwhich said hawser passes around -said sheave in ,a pluf rality ofspiral coils, the hawser contacting sur-l .face of saidwedge being adapted to engage .only

one of said-coils. y 7. A combined mooring ture comprising in combination, aV flat, lhorizontal base and eaxpair -formed integrally with said base, a substantially vertical spigot on said -base between said` bitts, an eccentric sheave rotatably 4positioned on said spigot and formed with .a concavev peripherie groove,. said bitts being recessed to provide V.flat surface portions Vadjacent to said sheave, ra hawser passing around said sheave` in Va plurality'cfspiral coils, anda wedge, oneside of said y Wedgebeing tapereddn horizontal and 1vvertical planes .withrrespectvto thev relatively opposite side thereof, said `,tapered side being engageable with one of said coils yof said hawser, and 4said. wedge co-acting with one of said flat surface `of spaced, upstanding .bitts bittand chock stru@ 50 portions and with said ,sheave to stopper said hawser. Y A l 8. The device as defined in claim 7, in which ysaid sheave is inscribed with an arrow for designating the eccentricity thereof.

KARL C.v KORTUM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are .of record file of thisnpatent:

the

6 UNITED s'rA'ras PATENTS Number Name Date 2,103,630 Morin Dec 28,1937 2,228,264 Dimmock et al Jan. '7, 1941 1,240,965 Gould -lSept 25,1917

Y Williamson et al. Jan..30', 1923 

